Thomas County cat., 1887-01-20
STORY OF A BOOK.
Why the Old Geography Had an
HOnored Place.

Ihe housemaid had found it in an
old cedar box in the attic and put it
beside volume of Dickens on the mid
die shelf of the library bookcase. 1t
was a little, square, green-cOvered.
dog-eared, round-cOrnered geography.
1t was published when the art of geog-
raphy making was, comparatively
speaking, in its infancy. Its maps
had blue seas, green, red, white, yell
low, purple, brown and many other
colored lands. and it was embellished
with odd pictures of still odder people
dressed more singularly still who have
become entirely extinct long since the
artist who drew them died, if the geog-
raphies of the present day are reliable
in their illustrations. The advent of
this old-fashioned volume among the
richly-bound books in the library
caused a ilutter of excitement not un-
mingled with Indignation.
Il can't see for the life of me-" ex-
claimed collection of Matthew Ar
nold's essays, "why this common book
should force himself upon our COM
pany."
"No. nor t. responded the Dickens
novel, sharply. "If this library is to be
turned into a literary junk shop we
might as well be in a secondhand
store ut once
Yes, indeed" echoed in unison
row of SCOTS novels, which stood like
= line of British soldiers. with bright
red suits. on an opposite shelf.
''Come, what have YOU got to say
for YOURSELF" inquired gruff old Ben
Jonson. "What made you stick
yourself in here against our CONSENT"
Il didn't want to come" answered
the geography. mildly. "Indeed l
didn't. 1t wasn't my fault. l was
lying in the old cedar chest in the
attic, where l have lain ever since she
grew up and where l would have been
now but -
"She?" interrupted Dickens. "Who
is she. pray?'
why. don't you know her?" replied
the Geography in amazemcnt. II
thought You must know her. She used
to study me when she was a little
pink-faced girl. years and years ago.
She and Jack studied me together.
They were very fond of me. and sup
pose that is the reason have been kept
SO long"
"'Jack?'" again inquired the inquis-
tive Dickens, "who is 'Jack?'"
''Jack," continued the Geography.
enthusiastically, ''was the handsomest
boy l ever knew. and l knew Il whole
generation of boys and girls. too.
ought to know them well. for l was
read. thumbed and studied by them
for nearly forty years before Jack found
me on the bookshelf il his fathers
library, where his older brother had left
me when he finished school and went
to sea-"
THAT doesn't explain how you hap
pened to be here" interposed Ben
Jonson, rudely. "Come. tell us that"
81 was just about to tell you," con-
tinued the Geography. "You see. Jack
took me to school with him the very
first day he went there. 1t was the
little red school-house under the hill.
You probably know it. No? l thought
every one knew where that was. The
master was very strict and very cruel,
so used to think. and every day he
Esed to whip nearly all the boys and
keep half the girls in at recess just
because they whispered. l tell You
that boys and girls can't keep from
whispering in school any more than
from breathing. said nearly all the
boys. Jack was one he didn't whip.
Why? Jack WAS a cripple. How did that
happen? I'll tell you. Phillis-she
was Jacks sweetheart-was the prct-
test girl in ali the school. She was
vounger than Jack just year. He
was twelve and she eleven. and they
loved each other just us much as peo-
pie good deal older than they were,
do If NOT a little more. One day after
school Jack and Phillis were sliding
down the school-house hill on Jack big
sled. The master was out watch
ing them. The road didn't run
straight down the hill. but wound
around down through a small grove
Of trees. The road had been
covered with water and was ice from
ton to bottom, and the sletls ilew faster
than the wind as they went down. This
afternoon Phillis sat in the front of the
.:ed. her little rcd Stockings curled up
npder her dress. while Jack held on be-